July 13, 2015, 11:20PM

"I believe jails should be a place of challenge, and the challenge is to change," said James Gill, an assistant deputy superintendent in the Hampden County Sheriff's Department and a candidate for sheriff. Full story »

July 08, 2015, 7:05AM

"I'm in it to win it," said Jack Griffin, a Springfield native and resident who retired from the Connecticut Department of Corrections in 2011. Griffin is running for Hampden County sheriff. Full story »

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, Lt. Sandra Daniele leads role call for the 8-4 shift. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, Lt. Sandra Daniele leads roll call for the 8-4 shift. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, Lt. Sandra Daniele juggles two calls at the same time while wrapping up a medical emergency. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee, opened in 2007, operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, an inmate with hairdressing skills helps out a fellow inmate. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, an inmate talks on the phone in her housing unit. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, Lt. Sandra Daniele talks with an inmate through the cell door in the segregation unit. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, inmates read the morning paper in their housing unit. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, officers are about to move an at risk inmate from the medical unit to her cell. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, Sgt. Tami Lapomardo records the transfer of an at risk inmate from the medical unit to her cell. They are in an elevator. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, officers move an at risk inmate from the medical unit to her cell. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, Lt. Sandra Daniele performs a security check along the entire perimeter of the facility. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, Sgt. Tami Lapomardo videotapes Lt. Sandra Daniele as she describes that the officers are about to move an at risk inmate from the medical unit to the housing unit. The entire...

July 27, 2014, 11:51PM

Currently housing about 150 inmates, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee operates around the clock and and is the workplace of dozens of correctional officers. Here, officers race down a flight of stairs to assist with a medical emergency in a housing unit. (Don Treeger / The Republican)